


The College Life

by RimmieTimmie



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Adultery, Cheating, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, M/M, break-ups, student!gavin, teacher!ryan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-28 20:56:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3869515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RimmieTimmie/pseuds/RimmieTimmie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gavin is in his last year of his Master's Degree, and his love affair of a year with his married Lecturer, Ryan Haywood, is coming to an end. Issues arise, and the two may not come out of things stronger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's All Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin ends it with Ryan, but he's regretting it already.

If you asked Gavin how it started, he wouldn’t quite be able to tell you. All he knew now was that he sort of wished it had never started.

_Ryan was still married, for god’s sake! He has two children._

He always remembered what his mother told him – you can’t help who you fall in love with. Gavin really wished he could.

A loud vibrating noise brought him out of his thoughts. He stretched his arm out of the covers reluctantly, taking hold of his phone from the bedside table and squinting at the screen, the sudden brightness hurting his eyes.

It displayed the first few words of a message. Gavin saw that it was from Ryan, and instantly unlocked it. The message loaded, and Gavin forced himself to read it.

_I know you’re probably sleeping right now, but I want you to know that I’ll sort it. I’ll sort it out for us, I promise. –Ry xxx_

Gavin sighed, the lump in his throat rising once more. He swallowed it down, locking the screen without replying. He really didn’t want to talk to Ryan right now.

 _What am I doing?_ He thought, before closing his eyes and attempting to get some sleep.

* * *

 

Gavin awoke to the sound of his best friend, Michael, swearing furiously. Gavin opened one eye warily, to see Michael sitting with Gavin’s phone in his hands. Gavin frowned, sitting up and catching Michael’s attention.

“Why do you have my phone, Michael?” Gavin asked.

“It hasn’t stopped going off. Your lover wants to talk to you.” Michael grumbled.

“Have you answered any of the calls?” Gavin questioned.

“No. It’s none of my business. I was gonna put your phone in your bag, so the vibrating didn’t wake you.” Michael explained.

He tossed the phone to Gavin, and it hit him straight in the chest. Michael snorted with laughter, and Gavin just smiled, but it soon faded as he began to scroll through his messages. There were countless messages, missed phone calls and voicemails from Ryan.

_Please talk to me, Gav._

_I’m sorry I said anything, please, just call me._

_Look, I’m an idiot, I get it._

_We have to talk about this at some point, Gavin._

Gavin simply deleted them all, and put his phone down beside him. He got out of bed, and went into their shared bathroom to take a shower. Once clean, he changed into a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt, slipping on converse and socks.

“Trouble in paradise?” Michael asked, glancing swiftly in the direction of the buzzing phone.

“Something like that.” Gavin replied, rummaging around his desk for his textbook.

“Want to get it off your chest?” Michael questioned.

The two men were close, and often shared things with each other. Michael had gone through a rough patch with his girlfriend of four years, Lindsay, and Gavin had been there to help. Michael felt like he should do the same.

“Ryan told me yesterday that he didn’t know if he would ever be able to leave his wife for me.” Gavin said, digging around folders now. “I wasn’t too happy.”

“You have every right to be unhappy, Gav.” Michael replied. “So he’s expecting you to be his bit on the side forever?”

“Apparently so.” Gavin said. “And I was fine with that when it started. But it’s been a year, Michael, and I… I’m pretty sure I love him. He clearly doesn’t feel the same way.”

“So that’s why you came home early last night? You were supposed to be staying at his last night.” Michael spoke.

“Yeah, his wife got back from visiting her Mum with his kids early. We, um, had some private time, and he told me afterwards. I just left – I feel so stupid, boi.” Gavin muttered, shaking his head slightly.

“You’ve got him now, right? Are you going to lesson?” Michael asked.

“I am, yeah. I’m not going to let him stop me from graduating at the end of the year.” Gavin decided. “And my class starts in fifteen minutes, so I need to go.”

Michael nodded, and allowed Gavin to finish packing his rucksack. He grabbed a hoodie, just in case it went colder, and left their dorm room. _Oh, it’s going to be a fun day_ , he thought.

* * *

 

He went to grab his usual can of Red Bull from the communal kitchen that he and Michael shared with the three surrounding dorms: Ray and Caleb, Kerry and Miles and Barbara and Lindsay. He saw Lindsay in there, and she greeted him. Lindsay was studying for a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television and Film, and Gavin was studying Cinematography, so their classes were often merged for certain lectures. She was also Michael’s girlfriend.

“Hey, Linds.” Gavin greeted.

“Morning, Gav.” She smiled.

Gavin opened the fridge to pull out a can of his favourite energy drink, and the two began to walk across campus to the lecture theatre where their lecture would be held in a few minutes. Lindsay went to the seats that they usually occupied at the front, but Gavin grabbed hold of her arm, and led her instead to the back.

“I’d rather not sit at the front today, if you don’t mind.” Gavin explained vaguely.

“Yeah, no worries.” Lindsay said, catching on that Gavin didn’t want to particularly talk about it.

They both pulled out their laptops, following the cue of the rest of the class. Their Professor was not here yet, and Gavin was quite pleased about that.

* * *

 

Ryan came rushing into the lecture theatre, shirt untucked and hair messy. He had dark bags under his eyes, and generally looked like he shouldn't be about to lecture 25 students on Technical Theatre. His eyes scanned the room, looking for Gavin, and Ryan spotted the Brit at the very back of the theatre, sitting with Lindsay.

He began to set up his laptop, and attached the microphone that he usually wore. Most Lecturers would speak into a stationary microphone, but Ryan liked to walk around when teaching.

“I apologise for being late… I had some, uh, things to take care of.” Ryan spoke.

* * *

 

He averted his eyes from Gavin, and loaded up the PowerPoint.

The lecture seemed to go on and on for Gavin, and by the time it was finally over, he wanted nothing more than to get out of there. As soon as they were dismissed, Gavin hurriedly stuffed his laptop into its case and shoved it into his backpack.

“You coming back to ours, Linds?” Gavin asked, as they walked down the stairs to the exit.

“No thanks. Michael and I are going out tonight, and I've got work.” Lindsay replied. “What are you going to do for the next hour? Wallow in your own self-pity?”

Gavin just shot her an unimpressed glare, which made her laugh. “Nope. I’m gonna play some Call of Duty with Ray.”

“I’m sure you’ll have fun dying repeatedly.” Lindsay said.

“Lindsay, mind if I steal Gavin from you for a minute?” Ryan asked, as they got closer to him.

Gavin shot Lindsay a pleading look, but she shrugged, and sent a small smile to Ryan. “Sure, he’s all yours.”

Gavin scowled at Lindsay as she left the theatre, and soon it was just Ryan and Gavin, standing in silence. “What do you want, Ryan? Is there anything left for us to discuss?”

“Gavin, you just left, we didn’t-“

“Why did I leave, Ryan? Oh, yeah, because your wife and kids arrived.” Gavin snarled. “I can’t bloody do it, Ryan. They deserve better.”

“What’s brought this on, Gav?” Ryan asked, his voice softer now. “I thought you knew what you were getting into.”

“I thought I did too. Look, you’re married. You have young children. I can’t live with myself if I mess that up. You’ve made it clear – you’re not going to choose me over them.”

“Gav, I couldn’t-“

“I know. I know you can’t choose. That’s why I’m doing this, Ryan.” Gavin took a deep breath, and looked Ryan in the eye. “We’re over, Ryan. I’m ending this.”

“Gavin, you don’t have to do this.” Ryan said, his voice cracking at the end.

“I do, Ryan.” Gavin replied.

He turned away, not wanting to look at Ryan anymore. Gavin didn’t want to go back to his dorm immediately, and face Michael and his questions. Instead, he went into their communal kitchen, getting a glass of water and taking a few sips of it.

Gavin strolled across the room to the sofas, and sat down with a shaky sigh. _He’d finally done it. He’d actually broken up with Ryan, the best partner he’d ever had._

In a feeble attempt to push Ryan to the back of his mind, he opened up his laptop and began to work on his dissertation. Gavin worked solidly for an hour researching everything he could on his chosen topic. He was only distracted by the buzz of his phone, which he mostly ignored.

He finally pressed the lock button on his phone to check the time, and the text message at the top made the lump in his throat rise once more.

_I’m sorry. I love you. –R xxx_

Gavin deleted the messages, and put his phone back into his jeans pocket.

 

 


	2. Trouble In Walmart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin takes a trip to Walmart with Barbara, and things go wrong pretty quickly.

It had been two weeks since Gavin had broken up with Ryan, and he was still devastated. Every time he saw the man, Gavin wanted to beg the man to take him back, to apologise, and to kiss him. He knew he couldn’t – he needed to be strong.

There were still four months of his last term left, and he needed to see this degree through to the end; there was no point in wasting four years of hard work for nothing.

Gavin was currently walking across campus with Ray and Barbara, chatting calmly about the party that they were all invited to tonight. It was Lindsay’s birthday, and the whole dorm was holding a party – everyone loved Lindsay. It was almost guaranteed that the alcohol would be flowing.

“I’m just saying, Gav, you’ve been a bit down lately.” Barbara shrugged. “It might do you good to get a little drunk.”

“You sound like Michael.” Gavin muttered.

“That’s because Michael’s right, asshole. You’re coming to Lindsay’s party, and you’re getting drunk. And when you’re all collapsed with liver failure, I’ll sit and laugh at your stupidity.” Ray joked.

“I was already going to Lindsay’s party. She’d kill me if I missed it!” Gavin chuckled.

“Great! That means we can go shopping for alcohol.” Barb grinned. “Ray’s refusing to come and Lindsay’s at her parents, so it’ll be just me and you, buddy.”

“Oh, lord help me.”

* * *

 

­Gavin walked through Walmart with Barbara, laughing as she began to throw various foods into their trolley. It was when Gavin was loading several bottles of Russian Vodka into their trolley that he caught sight of him.

Standing a few feet away, attempting to deal with a crying girl, was Ryan. Gavin internally groaned and thought, _why does life hate me?_

It took five-year-old Leigh’s cry of ‘Gavy’ to catch Ryan’s attention, and Gavin wanted nothing more to run away from this situation.

Ryan’s two children – his five year old son Leigh and two year old daughter Lily – were sweet, and Gavin had met them a few times, when Ryan’s wife had been away. Ryan and Gavin had never even held hands in front of his kids, which was one of Gavin’s only rules.

Ryan’s eyes settled on Gavin, and Gavin turned away, instead sending a small smile to Leigh. The small boy laughed and Gavin excused himself from Barb, walking over to the young boy.

“Hi, Leigh.” He grinned.

“Hi, Gavin!” The young boy replied with a cheesy smile. “I haven’t seen you in ageeees.”

“Sorry bud, I’ve been busy with work.” Gavin replied softly. “Have you been nice to your sister?”

“Daddy says I shouldn’t pull her hair.” Leigh shrugged.

“You probably shouldn’t.” Gavin agreed.

Gavin allowed his eyes to drift from the child to Ryan, who was standing with a now silent Lily on his hip. Gavin sent him a small smile, trying to be polite and civil, especially in front of his children.

“Well, bud, I’ve got to go now. Me and my friend Barb are shopping.” Gavin explained.

“You’ll come round soon, though, Gavin? Daddy’s always happy when you’re here! He even lets me stay up past seven.”

“Sure I will, Leigh.”

Gavin ruffled his hair, and waved in Ryan’s direction before walking back to Barbara, who was waiting patiently. She sent him an accusing look, with one eyebrow raised.

“Care to explain on how you know one of your lecturer’s children so well?” Barb asked, as they continued shopping.

“Uh-“

“Spit it out, Gavin.” Barb sighed.

“I’ve been sleeping with Ryan for the past year.” He admitted. _Why not get it out in the open? He could trust Barb, right?_

“It didn’t look very friendly over there.” She noted.

“We’ve kind of stopped. Abruptly.” Gavin shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I can drink away the pain.”

“That sounds like a good plan, my friend.”


	3. Drink Away The Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin gets really, really drunk. Alcohol has to be the answer, right?

Gavin did not know what the hell he was doing here. Ten pm, on a Saturday night, and half of the campus was in Baker Hall, where their dormitories were. At least three floors were hosting the party, and people were just wandering between floors, every single common room full. Alcohol littered every available space, food long forgotten by most. Music blared out throughout the building, but there were few complaints - most of Baker Hall were at the party. 

A song that was currently popular started to play, and there were cries of joy before everyone began dancing. Gavin's heart was pounding, and there were just too many people around. The alcohol was flowing through his veins, and he knew that he needed some fresh air. 

He left their own communal area, heading towards the lift. Upon reaching the ground floor, Gavin left the building hastily. He sought ought a bench not far from the building, in the communal garden area, and enjoyed the fresh, cold air. 

One of the Professors, Geoff Ramsey, crossed from the direction of the car park to the classroom areas. He nodded at Gavin as he passed. 

Although Gavin attended the University of Texas, but it was the smaller campus in Austin. Much more isolated than the large Houston or Dallas campuses, most Professors chose to live on campus several nights a week, as they lived at least an hour away. It was simply easier to live at the University in the week. There weren't as many students at the small campus either, with just Baker Hall, where Gavin lived, and another small residence that was reserved for Medical Students. 

"Jesus, you need to lighten up." a voice echoed out. 

Gavin felt the bench sink down beside him, and he turned to see Ryan sitting there, looking calm as ever. Gavin simply huffed, but his gaze never left the other man's. "What do you want, Ryan?" 

"We haven't spoken in two weeks, Gavin." Ryan stated. "I thought we should." 

"And why did you think that?" Gavin questioned. "Didn't think this was hard enough on me, so you wanted to make it a little worse?" 

"You're the one that split up with me, Gav." Ryan reminded the Brit.

"Because you're married!" Gavin shouted, and realised that there were other people on campus not at the party. He could hear the dull thud of the music out here, but he couldn't be too sure, and lowered his voice. "What choice did I have?"

"My marital status was never a problem before." Ryan said.

"Yes, it was. Ryan, this doesn't work. Affairs last for a few weeks, two months at most. Not over a year." Gavin explained. "I know it was just sex, but-"

"That's all it was for you? Just sex?" Ryan said, sounding generally angry for the first time in months. 

Gavin didn't reply, he simply glared at Ryan. Admitting he was in love with Ryan? That was only going to make it so much worse. "Yes, that was our agreement, Ry. We were having sex. You already had your relationship. You know, the wife you have at home?"

"You know Laurie and I have problems." Ryan sighed. 

"And I'm one of them. Ry, it's over. You're married, you've got your relationship." Gavin said, and continued in a softer voice. "Enjoy it, while you can. I mean it. Take your kids out on day trips, take your wife out to dinner. Get your shit together, Ryan. Do what's best for your kids. I'm pretty sure that I'm not what's best for your kids."

"What will you do?"

"Me? Well, tonight I'm going to get absolutely mullered." Gavin said firmly. "So, if you'll excuse me."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Gavin." Ryan tried to reason. 

"My choices aren't usually good ideas." Gavin replied, before walking back into Baker Hall. 

* * *

Three hours later, and the party was still in full swing. Gavin was dancing, with Meg grinding onto his hips. He groaned, swaying to the beat of the music. "I need a cigarette." Meg shouted in Gavin's ear, battling to be heard over the loud music. "Come with me." 

Gavin nodded, seeing it futile to try to reply, and took her hand, a beer in his other hand. She led them out of Baker Hall, and to the communal garden area where Gavin had spoke with Ryan previously. They took a seat on one of the benches, and Meg lit up her cigarette. She offered one to Gavin - he didn't smoke, but for some reason, his brain just said  _fuck it._ Gavin knew that Ryan hated smoking, and maybe this could be the first middle finger to his and Ryan's relationship. _  
_

Gavin put his beer on the ground, and wrapped his arm around Meg's waist. He knew that she liked him, and, well, if Ryan can have another relationship, then why can't he? Gavin deserved some fun, right? Meg shuffled closer to Gavin, and they both finished their cigarettes long ago. Gavin could feel the mix of nicotine in his brain and the alcohol pumping through his veins, and suddenly they were kissing.

He didn't really know when it ended. Maybe it was when Meg's hands began to travel south. Maybe it was when Professor Ramsey arrived to chastise them for smoking on campus. Maybe it was when Ryan trailed after Ramsey, glaring at his colleague. 

Yeah, that's when Gavin pulled away. Just in time to see hurt flash across Ryan's face. Gavin took into account his hands on Meg's back, with her hands running through his hair. They separated, Gavin letting out a sigh. 

"Don't let me stop you having fun." Ramsay muttered. "C'mon, Ryan, let's get you home."

Ryan nodded weakly, his eyes still staring intently at Gavin. Gavin glared straight back at Ryan, refusing to back down.  _They weren't together, right?_ Gavin could do whatever the hell he wanted. And if he wanted to hook up with Meg, then he would. 

"Sorry, Gav. Got a bit carried away there." Meg shrugged. "We should head back inside. Lindsay will be wondering where we've gotten to." 

Gavin simply nodded, with only one thought running through his mind; that did not go as planned. 

 


	4. It Doesn't Change Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan and Gavin go out for coffee.

It had been nearly a month since Gavin and Ryan had stopped seeing each other, and things had been so hectic that there wasn't as much time for things to be awkward. Gavin had a cinematography piece due in at the end of the week, and it was nowhere near edited. Ryan had a production on in the next few weeks, and his lead actor had just been kicked out for taking drugs on campus, so it was safe to say that they were both distracted. 

So when Ryan had sent Gavin a text asking him if he wanted to grab a coffee, Gavin was a little surprised. 

However, his need for coffee and just to generally chat to Ryan won out and he replied ten minutes later, agreeing to meet him at eleven am. 

 

* * *

 

Ryan walked into the Starbucks they had agreed to meet at - it wasn't the one close to campus, no, that was too risky. They had instead chosen to meet at one around twenty minutes away from campus, just to be safe, though there was technically nothing wrong with a lecturer having coffee with a student; it was actually common for lecturers to give one-to-one tutoring off-campus. 

He scanned the coffee shop for any signs of Gav, and spotted the man in question cooped up in the corner of the room, laptop on the table with the Brit typing furiously at it. Ryan saw that Gavin already had a drink, and walked up to the counter, ordering himself a latte and paying for it quickly. The Starbucks was relatively empty, with the morning rush having already passed. 

Ryan slid into the seat opposite Gavin, immediately catching the younger man's attention. Gavin gave him a soft smile, messing around with his laptop for a few seconds more before closing the lid and sliding it into his bag. 

"How have you been?" Ryan asked casually. 

"I've been top, thanks." Gavin replied. 

"You know that's not actually an adjective." Ryan supplied. 

"It is!" Gavin insisted. "It's a British thing."

"Its really not." Ryan laughed. 

They both smiled, having easily slipped into their old conversation habits. Gavin took another sip of his drink, avoiding Ryan's piercing gaze. He knew that Ryan wanted to talk about something serious, otherwise they would have just talked after a lecture. 

"Gavin, there's something I thought you should know." Ryan stated. 

"You don't have AIDS, do you?" Gavin asked.

Ryan laughed. "No, I don't have AIDS, I promise. I'm getting divorced, Gavin." 

Gavin's face fell. "Oh." 

"Is that a bad thing?" Ryan queried.

"Is - Is it my fault?" He asked. "Is it because of what happened between us?" 

"No. It was a long time coming. Though Laurie does know about us now, I told her. I thought it was best to get everything out in the open." Ryan explained.

"I'm sorry that you're getting divorced." Gavin said quietly. 

"You said that you split up with me because it was best for my kids." Ryan stated, and Gavin nodded. "Well, their parents staying together wasn't best for them."

"What's going to happen?" Gavin asked.

"Well, we've already filed for divorce. I don't know who'll get custody of the kids. If I had them, I'd have to live off campus all of the time. Laurie's job has her working all sorts of hours, though she's so good with Leigh." 

"I'm sure you'll do what's best for them both." Gavin said softly. 

They fell into a silence, though it wasn't really awkward. If Gavin were to be honest, he would admit that it was nice to just chat with Ryan again, without tears or swearing or general anger. But he had to make something clear. 

"This doesn't change anything between us." Gavin stated. "We both had separate lives, and that's not going to change because you'll no longer be married. Maybe some day, Ryan, but not now." 

"Agreed." Ryan nodded. "So, how is your project going?"

Ryan simply laughed once more when Gavin pulled a face.


	5. What's a Real Meal?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin and Ryan keep running into each other, and Ryan gets more and more worried each time.

Gavin swore loudly, pushing himself away from the desk, his desk chair moving. He cast one last dirty look at the computer before simply leaving the room, going reasonably unnoticed - the little rainbow pinwheel still spinning, in front of an error message. There was little patience left in the usually level-headed man, and he  _really needed some fresh air._ _  
_

He found a bench nearby, with the courtyard outside the media building being empty - last thing on Friday generally meant that people had gone home for the weekend. Gavin took several deep breaths, trying to get a hold of himself.  _I need to do this. It's only a few more thousand words._ He'd become so stressed with his work that even Ryan didn't work as his usual distraction; the man's presence went practically unnoticed by Gavin. He was living on around three hours of sleep, and those weren't voluntary - he'd literally fallen asleep at his desk.

"The damned pinwheel, eh?" a deep voice spoke.  _Ryan._

"Yeah," He shrugged. "Just... calming down a minute. I'll be back in class soon."

"Take as long as you need." Ryan replied, reasonable as ever.

Ryan came and sat on the wall next to his bench, careful to not sit too close to Gavin - he didn't want to set off their conversation on the wrong tone. They sat in silence for the next few minutes, Ryan being as patient as ever and Gavin simply trying to ready himself to go back and stare at the computer screen. 

"I can help, you know." Ryan started, and held up a hand as Gavin tried to object. "I'm your lecturer. It is my job, you know. Whatever happened between us is irrelevant." 

"I know." Gavin spoke. "I'm trying, I really am. Every time I get into the flow of it, there's more technical fucking difficulties." 

"That should be a shirt - Technical difficulties, I mean. With some jazzy music playing behind it." 

"I'd wear it." Gavin shrugged. 

They fell into silence once more, though it was less awkward this time. Gavin actually felt some kind of peace settle between them - we can still have some form of relationship, whether friends, or just helpful lecturer and tired student. Ryan seemed to sense this, and stood up from the wall he sat on, instead moving to sit on Gavin's bench. Gavin didn't move away like Ryan expected, but simply sighed, some of the tension leaving his body. 

"It's so hard, Ryan." He muttered. "I keep writing it and re-writing it, and when I finally do well, the computers..."

The University of Texas, Austin Campus, had been experiencing severe technical difficulties during the past week. The WiFi was on and off, computers and electrics crashed, software stopped working, etc. The IT Department were working overtime, and Gavin's deadline was drawing ever closer.

Upon closer inspection, Ryan began to notice things about Gavin that he didn't like. The shadowed bags under his eyes suggested a lack of sleep, and he'd certainly lost some weight. His hair was messier than ever, and Gavin just gave off an aura of dishevelment. Ryan frowned at the previously energetic man's slouched posture.

"Are you alright, Gav?" Ryan asked.

"Fine," Gavin mumbled, running a hand through his hair, trying to neaten it but simply making it worse. "Just tired."

"You look it."

"Wow, ever the confidence-booster, eh, Ry?" Gavin said, a small smile appearing on his face.

* * *

Ryan was tired. Exhausted, actually. He wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep for days, but that didn't seem an option, thanks to his insomnia. It was acting up again, and he could do little but wait for the storm to pass. He'd done more marking in the past three days than he had in three weeks, and he was well ahead of schedule. He'd played video games for hours on end, levelling up in Skyrim again and again until he got bored of that.

He eventually decided to take a trip to the local coffee shop, thinking that if he was going to be awake, he might as well have a nice drink to accompany him.

* * *

The car park had been empty, and the coffee shop wasn't very full either. There was a bespectacled, disinterested teen at the counter, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to go home. Ryan walked up to the counter, ordering his usual drink, and as was being made, he took the time to look around the room. There were just a few tired students hunched over laptops, their expressions sleepy.

In the far right corner of the shop sat a man hunched over his laptop, typing furiously. Ryan recognised the messy hair and mismatched converse anywhere - Gavin was here. 

He stood patiently, waiting for his coffee and fighting the urge to go over to Gavin.

He'd been worrying about Gavin a lot lately; the lad had noticeably lost weight, he was constantly tired and withdrawn, and generally looked like he needed help, or at least a holiday. 

In the end, the decision was made for him. The server spoke in a voice that echoed through the silent coffee shop, reading his name aloud from cup, causing Gavin to look up from his laptop and lock eyes with Ryan.

Well, that had certainly made his decision for him. Ryan accepted the coffee cup from the server, striding over to Gavin and sliding into the vacant seat opposite him. Gavin looked up at him once more, and Ryan couldn't help but notice how those stressed green eyes softened. 

"You stalkin' me or somethin'?" muttered Gavin. 

"We do live in the same town." shrugged Ryan. "Though if you want to be stalked, I'd be willing to offer."

"Shut up," grumbled Gavin, a hint of a smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. 

"How's the work going?" 

"How do you think it's going?" sighed Gavin. "This bloody pinwheel won't do one and it's messing up my work!" 

"PC is better," grinned Ryan. "Always will be." 

"Did you actually want something?"

"I came for coffee. You look like you could use a friend." 

"I didn't know we were friends," retorted Gavin. 

 _Wow, that one hurt_. Ryan knew he deserved it, after all. He'd led Gavin on for a long time, and he knew that the longer their affair went on, the higher the risk that they'd develop feelings. At this point, he cared more about Gavin than he did his now ex-wife. 

"I correct my statement, then," Ryan said, his tone considerably cooler. "You look like you could use an experienced lecturer."

Gavin simply huffed, turning the laptop towards Ryan and standing up and heading towards the counter, presumably to order another drink. Ryan took the opportunity to scan through his student-come-ex's work, and found himself smiling as he did. 

Gavin may come off as stupid and careless, but Ryan knew how intelligent the lad truly was, and it showed. He wasn't an expert in slow-motion cinematography, but reading Gavin's paper made him  _want_ to be. The way Gavin wrote, you could sense the passion that the Brit held for the subject. It was well referenced, his arguments were clear; it was flawless. 

The young Brit returned to the table moments later, armed with a mug of coffee and a muffin. Ryan couldn't help but chortle at the sight of Gavin with the muffin. 

"What? You keep telling me I need to take care of myself. A muffin is food." Gavin grumbled, though his tone was lighter than before. 

"That's true. I did mean an actual meal, though." Ryan shrugged.

Gavin took a bite out of his muffin, and turned to face Ryan once more. "How are the kids?"

"They're great. Missing you, though." 

"I'll have to come and see them. I miss them as well."

"How about this Saturday? They're at mine all weekend, and they'd love to have you over for dinner." Ryan offered, and after a second of hesitation, continued, "I'd love to have you over as well." 

Gavin paused for a moment, thinking over the offer. "Okay. Sounds good."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise if some things about 'College' are not right, I'm English so I'm not too familiar with the American Educational System. I'm pretty much basing this off University in England.


End file.
